Cleaning up or o-soji is something that is ingrained in the Japanese culture and it was on full display during the 2023 Lautoka/Yasawa Zone Coca-Cola Games meet at Lautoka’s Churchill Park last Thursday.
As many as 30 Japanese students from Jasper Williams High School and Ba Provincial Freebird Institute were seen picking up bottles, discarded fruits and other forms of rubbish inside Churchill Park.
“This is a Japanese volunteer group and we just want to make an effort to clean up the rubbish that has accumulated over the two-days meet,” said the group’s leader, Ryoki Fujiyoshi.
The Year 13 student at Ba Provincial Freebird Institute said the volunteer group “Green Bird”, made an effort to clean up areas within the Lautoka City every fortnight.
“Cleanliness is something that is part and parcel of our daily lives and we are happy to contribute in any way,” said the 17-year-old.
Even during the FIFA World Cup late last year, Japanese fans brought out garbage bags and cleaned up rubbish strewn around the stadium.
Members of the Japanese men’s football team also took it upon themselves to clean up their locker room after their matches.
